Rising Scarlets star Liam Williams has not been short of plaudits in the last year, but he says he is fully aware what a huge task it will be to dislodge Leigh Halfpenny from the Wales team.

Rising Scarlets star Liam Williams has not been short of plaudits in the last year, but he says he is fully aware what a huge task it will be to dislodge Leigh Halfpenny from the Wales team.

Halfpenny was the top points scorer during the Six Nations Grand Slam campaign and the outstanding Welsh player on the summer tour of Australia.

But 21-year-old Williams, while full of admiration for the Blues man, is determined to make the most of any opportunity that comes his way during the autumn internationals.

“Leigh is a class act, but I just have to go out there, train hard and, if my chance comes, hopefully I can take it,” he said.

“All it takes is one injury and I could be starting or on the bench. Things like that always happen.

“I have just got to keep on working hard and it will be great if I can get a chance to put myself up against the likes of New Zealand and Australia, the best in the world.”

Having been named in the 35-man squad for the autumn campaign, Williams will get his first taste of the Spala ice chambers during next week’s training camp in Poland.

“The boys have told me it is old school!” he said. “It will be tough, but it’s about working hard and trying to show the coaches what I can do.

“I’ll go out there, train hard and hopefully get a couple of games in the autumn.”

Williams, who won his solitary cap to date at full-back against the Barbarians in June, added: “It’s great to have been picked in the squad.

“I never expected to be involved, I was just trying to do my thing for the Scarlets and hope it was enough.

“I still haven’t come to terms with it all. It has been an outstanding 12 months, but I am just trying to take it in my stride, game by game.”

Before heading for Poland, Williams has regional duties to perform for the Scarlets, who take on struggling Edinburgh at Murrayfield tonight.

“It’s brilliant to be in the Wales squad, but there is a job to do with the region first,” he said. “Hopefully we can get a result against Edinburgh and then we fly out to Poland on Sunday.

“We need to keep kicking on in the league. We have gone up to Edinburgh in the past and not played our best.

“I don’t think they scored a point in either of their Heineken Cup games, but I am sure they will be coming out with all guns blazing against us.”

Next page: 12 Scarlets heading for Poland

There are no fewer than 12 Scarlets heading for Poland, with the call-up for teenage prop Samson Lee having swelled their contingent to a dozen.

But coach Simon Easterby insists they will only have Edinburgh on their minds this evening. “Their focus will not be on Poland, I can tell you that,” he declared.

“We congratulate all those for their achievement and it says a lot about how much this region has invested and backed developing Welsh talent.

“But all our minds are on Edinburgh right now.

“It’s a big game for us and really important for us to get back to winning ways.”

The second-placed Scarlets will be looking to get back on track following Heineken Cup defeats to Clermont Auvergne and Leinster.

“We have to realise we have played against the champions and semi-finalists from last year,” said Easterby.

“We have to put it into context. It is not all doom and gloom, there is plenty of positive stuff to focus on.

“The players now have an opportunity to go to Edinburgh and back up what we have done in the PRO12.

“We have put ourselves in a strong position there and what we can’t afford to do is let the last couple of weeks’ disappointment affect that.”

A total of 14 players were unavailable for selection for tonight’s game due to injury, while South African prop Jacobie Adriaanse doesn’t arrive until next week.

Among the crocked contingent are Wales squad members Jonathan Davies (groin), Tavis Knoyle (knee) and Josh Turnbull (neck), while South African locks George Earle (concussion) and Joe Snyman (chest infection) are both sidelined along with talented young back Jordan Williams, who dislocated his shoulder playing for the Llanelli club side last weekend.

Wales outside-half Rhys Priestland drops to the bench with Aled Thomas handed the No. 10 jersey, as Argentinian lock Tomás Vallejos makes his first start for the region.

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